Automatic call distributors (ACDs) are known. Such systems are typically used by organizations to serve large numbers of callers through the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). Typically, inbound calls are directed to a common telephone number of the organization and distributed to agents based upon some criteria (e.g., agent idle time).
In addition to handling inbound calls, ACDs may also process outbound calls. Typically, a controller monitors a workload of its agents. Where a workload of received calls falls below some threshold value, the controller may begin to initiate outbound calls.
In addition to placing and distributing calls, an ACD may also identify and display documents on agent terminals as an aid to processing the calls. In the case of incoming calls, the calls may be received along with dialed number identification service (DNIS) and/or automatic number identification (ANI) information. ANI may be used to identify a caller at the same instant as the call is delivered to the ACD. The controller of the ACD may use the ANI information to retrieve and display customer records on a terminal of the agent selected to handle the call at the same instant that the call is delivered to the agent.
In addition, textual information may be displayed on a terminal of the agent that guides the agent through a sales presentation. DNIS information may be used to identify an intended call target and to select an appropriate sales presentation for use by the agent based upon the intended call target.
While automatic call distributors work relatively well, their use is dependent upon the availability of an appropriate number of agents. If a supervisor estimates too low or too high on the number of agents needed, then not all of the calls can be answered or there are too few calls to occupy all of the agents.
In addition, organizations often locate call centers in widely dispersed geographic areas in order to reduce toll charges, avoid service discontinuities and exploit local labor availabilities. However, the flow of incoming calls is not always equal at each of the call centers. In some cases, one call center may be overloaded while in another, agents may be idle. Accordingly, a need exists for a method of balancing the loading among call centers that is based upon the loading of individual agents and is not based upon the time of a call in a call queue or a call abandonment rate.